Hyderabad: Out of 10 corporate employees surveyed across Hyderabad, five have suffered from depression according to clinical data available with the experts of the cases of depression.
The World Health Organization in its recent report has stated that the number of people living with depression has increased by 18 per cent between 2005 and 2015. According to the WHO report, 80 per cent of the disease burden is in low and middle-income countries.
Dr Srinivas Kandrakonda, neuro-psychiatrist and clinical epidemiologist explained, “In clinical analysis we have found that 38.5 per cent of the corporate employees sleep less than six hours in a day due to high stress level, tough targets set by employers leading to neurotic denial causing depression.
To beat the stress and ensure core strengthening it is important to exercise but in 57 per cent of the employees it was found that they do not exercise at all as they do not have the time.”
Neurotic denial is the poor acceptance of the consequences of one’s own thoughts or emotions. This defence mechanism of the body is compromised and the person gets into a cycle of anxiety disorders and depressive mood swings which they are often not able to understand.
Due to this reason, the number of depression cases in the productive age-group is very high. The recent surveys which have been carried out since the year 2000 show that 55 per cent fall in the age group of 20 to 29 years, 26 per cent in 30 to 39 years, 16 per cent in 40 to 49 years, 2 per cent in 50 to 59 years and 1 per cent in 60 to 69 years.
But only one in 4 people come out and seek help at the early stages. Others come when things are severe or after a suicide attempt. Dr Nishanth Vemana, psychiatrist explained, “In comparison to earlier years, the number of people coming forward to seek help has increased and hence more and more numbers are being seen at the clinical level.
An individual’s aspirations, emphasis by family on career, achievements and money is very high compared to yesteryears. When the individual can’t cope or live up to that expectation than dejection and depression sets in.”
There is a growing gap between aspirations and ground realities and this is also one of the major reasons why adolescents suffer from depression as what is shown to them does not exist in reality.
